WASHINGTON – Long manifest trains are more likely to derail than their shorter counterparts due to excessive in-train forces – and the number of wrecks related to train makeup and handling issues has increased sharply since U.S. railroads adopted Precision Scheduled Railroading operating models that rely on ever-longer trains, according to a National Academies of […]
Section: News Wire
Hearing focuses on turning around the rail industry’s growth problem
WASHINGTON – The first day of the Surface Transportation Board’s unprecedented hearing focusing on growth in the rail industry – or, more precisely, the lack of it – allowed the Class I railroads to tout their successes. But the rail executives had to wait for an analyst panel that outlined the breadth and depth of […]
Analysis: What a work stoppage at East, Gulf coast ports means for CSX, NS
Class I railroads’ intermodal volumes have been strong this year, but the growing threat of an East Coast ports work stoppage risks upending supply chains just as the freight industry was normalizing. East Coast Class I railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern are keeping an eye on the potential for a widespread strike at […]
CN blames unplanned CPKC trackwork for June congestion in Directional Running Zone
When Canadian National reported disappointing second quarter results in July – partly due to congestion related to trackwork in the Directional Running Zone it shares with Canadian Pacific Kansas City in British Columbia – executives were vague on why some of the maintenance of way work in the country’s most important corridor was unplanned. At […]
Updated Grafton & Upton paint scheme introduced
NORTH GRAFTON, Mass. — The Grafton & Upton paint scheme has been yellow and black ever since its first diesels – two General Electric 44-tonners – arrived on the property in 1946. Those colors carried over to an Alco S4 switcher, and earlier in this century on an eclectic roster of older EMD road-switchers […]
Santa Fe No. 2926 visits Albuquerque’s Rail Yards for Railroad Days
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Santa Fe No. 2926 will make its second visit of the year to Albuquerque’s downtown Rail Yards – a former ATSF facility with sections redeveloped as a multi-use venue, and future home for the 4-8-4. New Mexico Railroad Days is scheduled on Sept. 28 and 29, with the locomotive to make an […]
Railroading Heritage of Midwest America to host Tractors & Trains
SILVIS, Ill. — Initially announced on Sept. 1, the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America’s (RRHMA) upcoming Tractors & Trains event, scheduled Oct. 18-19, now has a new layer of excitement brewing. A Sept. 13 announcement headlines plans for the non-profit organization to unveil its latest acquisition that’s touted as a rare piece of railroading history. […]
CSX train collides with truck hauling military equipment in South Carolina
GOOSE CREEK, S.C. — Amateur video shows when a CSX Transportation train collides with truck hauling military artillery equipment at Goose Creek, The Post and Courier reports. Goose Creek is located about 15 northwest of Charleston on a former Atlantic Coast Line route that also hosts Amtrak’s Silver Meteor. The incident occurred Thursday […]
New Norfolk Southern CEO Mark George prioritizes operational excellence
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – Norfolk Southern, which has struggled to maintain consistent and reliable service in recent years, will no longer tolerate mediocre operational performance, new CEO Mark George says. “The tolerance for poor performance inside of rails has always bothered me,” George said this morning in his first public remarks since replacing Alan Shaw […]
Montreal commuter rail lines threatened
MONTREAL — There are Montreal commuter rail lines threatened with closure. A report by Autorité Régionale de Transport Métropolitain suggests that closing three commuter rail lines could save up to C$21 million annually, CBC News reports. Commuters would be served by bus connection to adjacent rail lines instead. They are the three least-traveled EXO commuter […]
Nickel Plate Road No. 765 rolls out for Rolling Victory (updated)
PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — Labor Day concluded the summer schedule for Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s Indiana Rail Experience. The sendoff during the three-day weekend was the Rolling Victory event in Pleasant Lake, billed as a World War II experience with reenactors, displayed equipment, battle reenactments, big band dance, train rides, and Nickel Plate Road […]
Norfolk Southern brass seek to reassure employees after sudden firing of CEO
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern sought to reassure employees that the railroad is in good hands after this week’s firing of CEO Alan Shaw and Chief Legal Officer Nabanita Nag, who were engaged in a consensual relationship in violation of the company’s ethics policy. “While we are deeply troubled to learn of this situation, I am […]